Stump shooting in Michigan . FYI

[Pine]

Well I was going to have a bunch of us get together and stump shoot in a state game area .
Guess what , shooting stumps is considered destruction of state land .
You can only shoot in designated shooting areas and at targets only .
Applies to guns and bows .
If there are 20 or more people in an area , you must have previously approved permission and a permit .

[elk nailer]

if you all had small game tags,which any one who buy a deer tag must have in mi. then I do not see how they can stop you stop you .

[Harmless]

Never herd of such a thing, I stump shoot on state land all the time, never had a problem

[abbatoys]

Wow, that is very interesting...

[30coupe]

Apparently those stumps are an endangered species. When is this crap going to end?

[Pine]

So how you get around this is , you tell the DNR officer that you are hunting red squirrels and you are good to go .
If he seen you shoot , you just say that you missed .
Problem is , if there's more than 20 people . I guess you could say that everyone doesn't know each other and it's just a coincidence that so many people are here .

[Yooper-traveler]

Graps you can come up by me.  You can shoot stumps until you pass out.  The local warden will help guide you.

[Mike Vines]

Please post a link to the Satutue, and where it can be found in said Statute, that states what you are claiming.  I believe we all would be interested in seeing it.  I'm in no way saying it doesn't exist, I think if it is there, we all need to be aware of it.  Until then I will continue "small game hunting"

[finkm1]

Bunny Stomp this weekend is on State Land. Never had any problem with the law. Michigan Out Of Doors even did a story on it one year. We are shooting at rabbits not stumps but there are more than 20 people there. Every one has a license and hunter orange. But yes with a small game license you can rove in Michigan. Just say you are targeting woodchucks.

[finkm1]

It's a shame that common sense went out the window a long time ago.

[Trenton G.]

I shoot stumps on state land around here without an issue. Never run into the DNR, but there's always a first. We've got one up here that is pretty uptight, so I don't really know how she would handle it.
I don't see how shooting a stump is destruction of public land. Was it not already destroyed when the loggers came through and made that stump?

[finkm1]

Wonder if the old beer cans and plastic water and pop bottles (that people throw out on State land) are protected buy state law also.  

[Roger Norris]

It stems from laws/rules that don't allow random target practice on state land. And while I understand how silly it may seem to us guys with a longbow shooting at pine cones, imagine how dangerous it would be if Yahoo-Joe was allowed to wander around with his AR15 blasting away.

[Pine]

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10366_54559_10402-397116--20,00.html

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-31154_35728---,00.html

[dagwood64]

Originally posted by Graps:
So how you get around this is , you tell the DNR officer that you are hunting red squirrels and you are good to go .
If he seen you shoot , you just say that you missed .
Problem is , if there's more than 20 people . I guess you could say that everyone doesn't know each other and it's just a coincidence that so many people are here .

If it's in March, just tell them you are hunting rabbits (legal until March 31st).

[RAGHORN 3]

Oh brother! What a joke... Another example of too much control on stupid things, and not enough control on more important things...         What about bringing your own throw target?

[Anointed Archer]

Roger has a good point about Yahoo Joe so you can understand the law. However we stump shoot state land around us and never once had a problem, however we do have our small game license and wear some orange.

[finkm1]

I understand the AR 15 thing but tell me, who has never been out squirrel hunting and plinked a couple old beer cans with a 22 rifle. Come on

[finkm1]

I wouldn't be plinking with a AR15 or a high powered deer rifle but I guess that's where the common sense comes in.

[Mike Vines]

Originally posted by Graps:
    http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10366_54559_10402-397116--20,00.html    

    http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-31154_35728---,00.html    

First link only speaks of firearms, AND is not a Statute, but just a list of "Rules".

Second link appears to only refer to "Commercial Use" and is also not a link to a Statute.

I would suggest this...Contact your local Game Warden, (DO NOT CALL LANSING!!!), explain to them what you are wanting to do, invite them to join everyone and that you have a spare longbow and arrows for him/her to join in the fun, then ask him/her if they see a problem with it.  (I suggest this because I have done it in the past and it has worked as expected).  Game Wardens are our friends, and it is a good thing when people come to them with an issue that can be solved by just a simple question.  Honestly, they are really good people and like to know that the public thinks highly enough of them to seek them out for guidance.

Get your answer straight from the one who will be enforcing the laws that, to be honest, we have no idea exist or not.  Don't try to be a Google Lawyer (I mean that in a nice way).  Let them know you don't want to break the law and are just looking for guidance.  

Please let us know how that works out.  I'm going to postulate that it will be a favorable outcome.